SIC NEWS INTERVIEW
In an interview with SIC Notícias, The Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities guarantees permanent monitoring of the situation in the Middle East and direct support to Portuguese citizens in the region, who express concerns about the evolution of the conflict and security conditions.
Portugal received 39 repatriation requests from Israel and two of the 13 Portuguese residents in Iran left the country .
In an interview with SIC Notícias, Emídio Sousa, Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, says that the Government is permanently monitoring the situation in the Middle East and providing direct support to the Portuguese in the region.
“The monitoring is permanent and our intention is that no Portuguese person, wherever they are, feels isolated and alone. That is what we are doing, our work is precisely that”, he began by saying.
Emídio Sousa reveals that the main concern expressed by the Portuguese in the Middle East is related to the evolution of the conflict and security conditions in the countries where they reside.
“People are worried and essentially want to know the situation. I had some conversations with people in Qatar, and they told me that the defense system they have is very effective and that they have had a feeling of absolute security”, he said.´
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that Portuguese people in the Middle East region comply with the guidelines of local authorities, stay at home and, in case of emergency, contact embassies or consulates.
Israel and the United States launched a military attack against Iran on Saturday, with the declared objective of “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”, with Tehran responding with missiles and drones aimed at US bases in the region and Israeli targets, worsening tension in the Middle East.
